Spyrus Offers Secure Pocket Drive for Linux

Spyrus has announced a new version of its Secure Pocket Drive that allows users to build and distribute their own secure bootable Linux OS image. According to the announcement, the Linux edition not only offers secure access to corporate networks but also lets users install and run their own applications locally. Unlike a Live CD, Secure Pocket Drive is hardware encrypted, with security self-checks during boot-up and at run time, and it can be managed and updated remotely.

Secure Pocket Drive, which was designed as a secure endpoint for Internet and cloud-computing applications, boots Linux or Windows environments without the overhead of a virtual machine. The new version offers enhanced security features and is also optimized for performance. According to the announcement, the Linux edition can be booted in seconds on most Intel-based Apple Macintosh and standard Intel and AMD-based Windows computers.

Additionally, Secure Pocket Drive can be configured to prevent cross-contamination and the transfer of malware from the host computer by not mounting the internal hard drive. Secure Pocket Drive can boot on older computers with as little as 1GB of RAM.

Spyrus also offers build tools and customization services for small and large customers who want to build and manage their own Linux operating system and applications for Secure Pocket Drive. According to the company, customers can use these tools to make a boot compartment read-only, providing an advantage over current Linux installations on writeable USB drives that can be susceptible to malware attacks. For more information, see spyrus.com.

Worried about spies and criminals? Ubuntu Privacy Remix breaks down all the bridges to the Internet and converts the computer into an island of security. If you want to head back to civilization, you'll need a USB stick and plenty of patience.